Title
Human Resources Department and Planning and Building Department recommending the Board adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 150-2019, amending the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Authorized Personnel Allocation Resolution to:
1) Delete one vacant Assistant/Associate Planner (1.0 FTE) position from the Planning and Building Department, Planning Services Division;
2) Add one Development Technician (1.0 FTE) position to the Planning and Building Department, Planning Services Division;
3) Direct that the above changes be added to the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Position Allocation Schedule; and
4) Provide authorization to the Director of Human Resources to make, if needed, any technical corrections to the authorized personnel allocations for the Planning and Building Department.
FUNDING: Planning and Building Permit Revenue and General Fund (Cost Savings).
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The Planning and Building Department proposes to delete one vacant Assistant/Associate Planner position and add one Development Technician position within the Planning Permit Center Unit (Permit Center) in the Planning Services Division.
The Permit Center performs tasks ranging from (but not limited to) processing planning projects and conducting advanced commercial and residential building permit reviews to more routine, lower-level permit reviews such as Administrative Permits and Vacation Home Rental Permits, business license reviews, routine correspondence such as zoning verification, and response to general planning inquiries in-person, via email and on the phone.
The duties of the Assistant/Associate Planner and the Development Technician have significant overlap, in that both positions review and process permit applications, review plans against specific guidelines, and provide information to the public. However, these positions vary in the level of complexity of the work they perform. The Permit Center needs to fill its current vacancy with a staff member that can address an increase the number of lower-level permit reviews and more routine and less complex tasks, thus allowing existing Planners to focus on the more complex tasks. This will provide a better position classification to work complexity balance. The Permit Center is attempting to address this balance of work by adjusting the staffing levels within the unit by deleting the vacant Assistant /Associate Planner position and adding the Development Technician position.
It is anticipated that the total annual cost of the Development Technician position will be approximately $95,000. The estimated total annual cost of the Assistant /Associate Planner position is $115,000. Due to the downward reclassification listed herein for the Planning and Building Department, the on-going annual fiscal impact would be a decrease of approximately $20,000 each year.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could decline to adopt the attached Resolution amending the Authorized Personnel Allocation Resolution, and maintain the current personnel structure.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Chief Administrative Office
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
A significant amount of the Planning and Building Department budget is offset by Planning and Building permit revenue; however, a portion of the budget is offset by General Fund. The fiscal result of the proposed downward reclassification represents an approximate annual decrease of $20,000, all or a portion of which will be a reduction to the General Fund cost, depending on actual revenues received.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) Clerk of the Board to obtain the Chair’s signature on one (1) original of the Resolution.
2) Clerk of the Board will provide one (1) certified copy of the signed Resolution to the Human Resources Department, attention to Katie Lee.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Good Governance - Balancing the position classification to workload complexity will allow for a better division of duties in the Unit, which should result in processing efficiencies, which will in turn better serve our public. In addition, the recommended downward reclassification will result in an on-going annual savings to the General Fund of $20,000.
CONTACT
Tameka Usher, Director
Human Resources
Tiffany Schmid, Director
Planning and Building Department